


When a bee is in your hand, what’s in your eye? Beauty. Because beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder.

by NatalieRyan



Series: Whumptober 2020 [27]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Allergic reaction, Day 27, Gen, Hurt Mac, I hurt him so much, Mac Whump, Poor Mac, Whump, Whumptober 2020, bee sting, every time Mac is hurt, that's a natural disaster for Jack, what is this if not a way to discover you have a new allergy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27359032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/pseuds/NatalieRyan
Summary: ... until a bee stings you
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Whumptober 2020 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948579
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	When a bee is in your hand, what’s in your eye? Beauty. Because beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SabbyStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabbyStarlight/gifts), [N1ghtshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/N1ghtshade/gifts).



> Mac + a bee sting. That's it. That's the story.   
> I got this idea shortly before the Whumptober prompt list was published and wondered how I could fit it in. Now, bee sting is as far from a natural disaster as it goes, but I liked the thought of hurt Mac being the literal natural disaster for Jack, so I went with it. In this story Mac gets stung by a bee and discovers he has a new allergy. 
> 
> Huge thanks go to SabbyStarlight who helped me with the brainstorming around the bee sting and also supplying me with lots of information about bees and stingers, as well as the way Jack removes the stinger. 
> 
> And thanks go to N1ghtshade who gave me an idea around the possible allergy cause when I needed one, and I settled on the poison oak. Thank you thistle for the brainstorming and the beta. 
> 
> There's also a little nod to CSI... just a smidgen, but I couldn't help myself. Also, it gives Jack a valid reason for carrying epi pens with him. It worked. 
> 
> Title is a bee pun that I couldn't resist. I wanted something punny and well, this one was the closest that I could get to fit my story.

Mac was going to stop asking for days off. Or maybe he wouldn't leave the house next time. It was official. Days off were cursed. 

It could also have been the Jack in his head saying that, but Mac trusted Jack with everything, even with the little statements like this one. Because as far as Mac remembered, days off without anything happening to either of them didn't exist. Or if they did, they were the exception to the rule. 

And Mac shouldn't have been thinking about that, because he jinxed it. 

They were having a calm afternoon stroll around the park close to where Mac lived, just the two of them, Riley opting to spend her days off with Billy and Bozer was on yet one more apartment hunting with Leanna. Mac didn't mind though. He liked a quiet day, spent with Jack. Even Jack was quieter today, and it wasn't like Mac minded that, but that should have been a tell that something was about to go wrong. 

Mac picked up the soda can from where he had it left on the grass and aimed to walk to the trash can. And throw the can. Right before he did that, Mac felt a prickle that didn't last long, but as soon as he released the can, he noticed it was a bee. 

_ Just great _ .

Jack followed right behind with his own soda can, finishing up on his drink and looking at Mac, like he was assessing what was wrong. 

Mac pursed his lips, this was going to be a laugh material. Only Mac could get stung by a bee on a day off. 

“What's up Mac? You look like that soda can didn't sit well with you.” 

Jack threw his own can. Mac was thinking of deflecting, Jack didn't have to know about what just happened. But Mac was also unable to lie so it was pretty clear on what he was going to do. 

He extended his left hand, that now that Mac had a good look at, he noticed it was getting a little bit red around the edge where the bee stung him. 

“You are going to laugh.”

“Why am I going to do that?” 

“I got stung by a bee. And the culprit is in the trashcan together with the soda can.” 

“You probably agitated the bee with moving the can.” Jack frowned as he inspected Mac's hand and then carefully let Mac pull it to himself to inspect the puncture site. 

“i'm sorry that taking care of the environment was a bad thing for the bee. I'll try to be considerate next time.”

Mac snapped a little and then huffed in frustration as the sting started itching. 

“Hey, now,” Jack raised his hands in placating manner. “I ain't blamin' you about nothing. I'm just saying that the bee was probably flying around, detected the sugary scent coming from the can and you just happened to agitate the bee. You don't agitate bees, Angus.”

“Geez, Jack, you should have been a detective.” 

“What's with the attitude, grumps?” 

Mac huffed in frustration and shivered when a light wind picked up and whispered against the skin of his arms and neck. 

“It's stupid, alright?” 

“Not really stupid, more like bizarre. Out of all things to happen to you hoss, you get stung by a bee. On your day off. I knew it. I shouldn't have let you walk out of the house."

“You can't just wrap me up in bubble wrap, Jack. It could have easily been you who got stung.” 

“Truth. But still.” 

Mac was a little slow on the uptake, but he could really see now that Jack was worked up over him hurting and all the teasing was just a front. Jack was worried, yet he didn't want to show it. Get Mac to panic even more. 

It was just a bee sting. 

Mac shivered again and Jack picked up on it. 

“You cold?” 

“It's just this sudden wind…” 

Jack looked at him like he grew a second head, but right when he was about to speak he thought better than that. Mac could hear the way Jack's teeth grinded as he locked his jaw and took a deep breath. 

...

"This is a natural disaster, hoss." 

"How is this a nat- you know what, never mind. Do you even know what a natural disaster is?" Mac was getting rallied for a lecture and Jack smirked to himself. Mission accomplished, the kid's mind was taken off of their current predicament. 

"Everything that hurts you or lands you in a position where you have to fight for your life is a natural disaster to me, Mac." 

Mac squinted at Jack, and Jack could see the gears turning in Mac's brain. He also noticed pink hue settling on Mac's cheeks that looked like Mac trying to put on some rouge on his cheeks. 

"I'm going to concede and say that yes, you do have a point, but a bee sting is hardly a thing to worry about. It's as far from a disaster as it can get." 

"You can never be too careful, Mac. You know how prickly these things can be and how much it hurts. I'll have you know my cousin Nick was once bitten by ants and now has a pretty severe allergy as a result of it. I carry an epi-pen with me at all times because of it now, even if he technically isn't living in LA. It never fails to be prepared for-" 

Jack stopped mid-rant when he noticed Mac was clawing at his chest and his eyes were closed. 

"Hoss?" 

"Jack? I don't feel so good." 

"Told you man. I told you. Is it the bee? I bet it's the bee." 

Mac shook his head, his breaths coming in gasps.

"It's not the bee. It can't be the bee." 

"Then what is it, hoss? It isn't like you were in contact with anything else." Jack moved closer to rub a soothing hand over Mac's back, to offer some comfort and relief as Mac fought to breathe through whatever gave him the reaction. 

"I... have been stung before." Mac gritted out. "Several times. And no reaction." 

"Okay, then. It's not the bee. It's definitely something and it's making you sound like a broken oxygen pump with all these hissing sounds you make, so I'm gonna go and get the car and take you to the nearest hospital. Call Matty and tell her to notify the ER team." 

"Yeah. Good decision. Must be something. Else." Breath was coming in short and raspy gasps, as Mac looked with panicked eyes at Jack. "Insect stings... should not. Cause. Anaphylaxis." 

Jack was freaking out at the word “anaphylaxis”. Especially since they had both experienced it before, but not in a long time, and it was definitely a reaction to medicine. So unless someone slipped Mac something he was allergic to, then this was something entirely else. 

_ Just great. Exactly how Jack imagined to go through his day off. Not.  _

"Just, hang on. I'll be back before you know it." 

Mac nodded weakly, noticing how the place around the sting had already broken in hives and Jack made a mental note to pick up an ointment to treat that after they dealt with Mac having an allergic reaction to God knew what. 

Jack's hands were shaking, it took three tries to turn the engine of the GTO on and before he had lost too much time dwelling on the way Mac looked and sounded, he was gunning it. He had to get Mac help. 

...

Jack was definitely going to start carrying the epi-pens on his person. They were in his med kit that was in his car and it was still under two minutes that he reached Mac, but still, it was two minutes too long. 

He put the car in park and then he helped Mac into the passenger seat. 

Reaching his med kit, he pulled one of the pens, and after Mac looked at him with a question in his eyes, Jack took a deep breath and slowed down. 

"Remember those epi-pens I mentioned? We gotta slow down the reaction, hoss. Wanna do the honors?" 

"No, j-just... you do it." 

Mac was gritting his teeth, trembling slightly and Jack's mouth was suddenly dry. He was about to inject his friend with an adrenaline shot. Jack did not look forward to it, but then if that was the difference between Mac's state worsening and at least easing the reaction a bit until they reached a hospital, Jack knew what he had to do. 

Sticking the needle in Mac's outer left thigh, Jack pulled at the latch and the plunger released the adrenaline.

...

"The stinger is still inside." Mac said after Jack injected him with the epi-pen and waited for it to release the adrenaline and then pulled it out of Mac's thigh. 

"We need to get it out." 

"Yeah." Mac croaked out. He was still feeling awful, but he could feel the effects of the epi-pen and prayed they'd get to a hospital soon. 

"Jack? I think that if... if we get the stinger out whole, we-we can take it to the Phoenix labs... they can trace it back." 

"Yeah, I'll call Matty to have someone pick it up after we get you at the nearest hospital. I'm not taking the risk to drive you to Medical because we aren't exactly close to work." 

"Okay." 

Jack was frowning though. 

"W-what is it?" 

"You are gonna hate me for this." 

"For what?" 

"There's two ways we can do this. Either I pull it with tweezers or I scrape it off with a sharp blade." 

"I'm guessing we aren't using the tweezers." Mac tried to muster up a smile, but it fell flat. He was feeling awfully hot and he broke out in sweat. His arm was itching and one quick look told him the rash had spread and was starting to get unbearable. 

"We ain't. Because I can't risk pulling with the tweezers and accidentally releasing the poison from the stinger and adding to your already miserable state. And don't you worry, grandma taught me how to do this. I got you." 

Mac quickly pulled out his SAK, thrusting it into Jack's palm. Jack felt weird holding Mac's knife, about to use it on his best friend, to pull the stinger out. There was some sort of irony about the whole thing that escaped Jack, as he pulled some of the rubbing alcohol and poured it over the large blade and cleaned it before turning towards Mac. Mac wasn't looking like a gaping fish anymore, but his eyes were glazed and he was still having trouble breathing normally. The rash had spread and Jack had winced at the sight. 

This was it, now or never. 

"Give me your hand?" 

Jack posed it as a question, he felt queasy at the prospect of having to do this to Mac, but it was either that or cause a bigger damage. 

Jack meanwhile put on some protective gloves, in case he was allergic to whatever was on the stinger as well. Some people weren't aware of their allergies until they came into contact with the point of origin of the reaction. 

Mac gave Jack his hand and Jack cradled it in his carefully, gently squeezing it as he pressed the blade below the sticking needle-like poke out of Mac's hand. He scraped the blade against the place where it was embedded in soft, now pink skin and after the skin was loose enough, he used the blade to lever the rest of the stinger, where the thicker end resided. 

Jack didn't let his breath out until that thing was out of Mac, then he carefully wrapped it in a piece of clean gauze and used the empty epi-pen bag to carefully bag the wrapped stinger. 

And then promptly sneezed. 

…

Mac woke up to the sound of someone snoring on his right side. He could tell it was Jack even before he opened his eyes.

Jack was sleeping, with his head pillowed on his forearms on top of the bed rail. Mac smiled because his partner would always stay for him at the hospital. 

Mac reached out with a hand and the movement made Jack stir. It took him a while to blink the sleep out of his eyes, but then he turned to face Mac. 

“Hey, Mac.”

“Hey, Jack.”

“How are you feelin'?”

“Hmm… drained?” 

“Yeah, you spiked a fever and an infection set in while we worked on finding the source.” 

“How bad?” 

“You've been out for two days. I can't tell you how glad I am to see you awake.” 

“Sorry.” Mac rasped out, his mouth dry. 

Jack was suddenly on his feet, handing Mac a glass of water that Mac gladly accepted. 

“Thanks.” 

“Don't mention it.” 

“I'm sorry I scared you.” 

“Wasn't your fault.” 

“Did you figure it out?” 

“What caused the allergic reaction? Poison oak.”

“Poison oak?” 

“Yeah. So not only you got stung by a bee on your day off, but you picked the one park in LA where there's vines of poison oak.” 

“The bee must have been in close contact with the flowers of the plant right before it landed on the can.”

“Probably. The reason why I was sneezing like crazy.”

“You are allergic to oak.” 

“That I am.” Jack confirmed, dejectedly. 

“They figured out why the reaction was so severe?”

“The doc said that it's because of prolonged exposure. The more you get exposed, the more it affects you. It's not the same for everyone, though.” 

“I got the short end of the stick, huh?” 

“Yes.” 

Jack sounded weary, like he was at the end of his rope. Scared for Mac and barely holding on. 

“Jack? I'm fine.” 

“I know that.” 

“You don't look so convinced.”

“Yeah, well, if I hadn't had that epi-pen on me, we wouldn't have been so lucky.”

“We should send Nick a fruit basket. Having an allergy sucks, but if it wasn't for him? It would have definitely been worse.” 

“Really encouraging.”

“You saved me, Jack. You were calm and collected. Handled the situation as best as you could.” 

“Didn't feel like it.”

“If this is about the stinger, you didn't hurt me. You have to know that.” 

“It wasn't pleasant.” 

“No, it wasn't. But you did all you could to help me. Stop blaming yourself, okay?” 

“'Kay, hoss.” 

“Now, c'mere,I want a hug.”

“Careful, Mac, I might get clingy.” 

“You already are, Jack. And you'll hover as always. I might just let you this time.”

“Oh, you will let me? Good. I'm gonna pamper you so much.” 

“Hey, don't push your luck.” Mac griped, but secretly happy he got Jack to loosen up. 

“No more trips to the park. Or maybe we should ban bees from approaching you.” 

“Jaaack.” 

“What? It's true.”

“Shut up and hug me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
